Air-blast-heating apparatus.



F. EPHRAIM.

AIR BLAST HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 8. 1914.

1,154,196.. 'Patentedsepn 21, 1915.

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maar sar AIR-BLAST-HEATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

Application filed. January 8, 1914. Serial No. 810,936.

1' b all 'LU/wm it may concer/L Be it known that I, FERDINAND EPHRAIM, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Blast- -leating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The hereinafter described invention relates to an improved apparatus for producing a blast or current of heated air for use mainly in expelling the moisture from vegetable products, fruits, plants, and from any and all material where it is desired to quickly and economically remove or expel moisture.

To comprehend the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, the heating cylinder being partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the strainer for the liquid hydro-carbon removed from its reservoir.

ln the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the housing of an air blower or suction apparatus, mounted on a base support 2, constructed of any suitable material. Within the housing or casing 1 is located a centrifugal or rotary fan 3, which is driven from a power shaft 4 by means of a belt 5 working over a belt pulley 6 on the fan shaft 7 and a belt pulley 8 on the power shaft 4, the said shaft 4 being driven, in the present case, by a drive belt 9 working over a belt pulley 10 on the shaft 4, the belt 9 being driven from any suitable source of power.

Air is admitted within the fan chamber of the blower through the air inlet openings in the side walls of the housing or casing 1, being discharged therefrom through the outlet conduit 11 by the rotary action of the fan 3. To the said outlet conduit 11 is connected an air outlet tube or pipe 12, through and from which the air is ejected under pressure from the rotary motor or blower onto the material to be treated.

At a short distance from the outlet end of the discharge conduit 11 of the blower is situated a heating cylinder 13, of a diameter greater than the tube or pipe 12, and into the heating chamber 14 of which .cylinder is extended the said tube or pipe 12, being supported and held rigid therein by the supporting brackets 15. The tube or pipe 12 terminates within the heating chamber 14 a slight distance from the outer open end of the cylinder 13, which cylinder is normally closed at its inner end by means of the slip cover end wall 16.

In the under face of the cylinder 13 there is provided an elongated opening 17, and beneath the said opening is situated a heating or firing device, which, in the present case, partakes of the form of a hydro-carbon burner 18, provided with a series of jet nozzles 19. The burner 18 is connected by means of a supply pipe 20 with a liquid fuel reservoir 21, the flow of the liquid fuel or hydro-carbon contained within said reservoir to the burner 18 being controlled by the regulating valve 22. This reservoir 21 is provided with a filling opening closed by the cap or plug 23, and within the said reservoir adjacent its bottom is fitted a strainer 24 to prevent foreign mattei' or impurities contained within the liquid fuel stored therein escaping into the supply pipe 2O with the iiow of the liquid fuel to the burner 18.

In operation, the air from the blower passing into the cylinder 13 through the tube or pipe 12 is raised to a high degree of heat by reason of the jet flames from the burner 18 impinging onto the said tube or pipe through the opening 17. It will be understood that the air to be heated is forced under pressure by the action of the centrifugal fan within the blower through the air tube or pipe into the heating chamber 14 lof the cylinder 13, being forcibly ejected from said chamber in a highly heated condition onto the material to be treated, quickly expelling moisture therefrom and placing the same in condition for commercial use at the earliest possible moment.

Such air as is drawn into the chamber 14 of the cylinder 13 by the suction produced by the forcibly ejected air, impinges against the heated surface of the tube or pipe 12 and is raised to a high degree of heat, commingling in said chamber 14 with the heated air discharging from the tube or pipe 12 and being ejected therewith from the outer open end of the cylinder 13, the said air so drawn into the cylinder circulating throughout the chamber 14 and serving to maintain the tube or pipe 12 enveloped by a source of heated air.

The intensity of the heating flame of the burner is readily controlled by the hand `While a hydro-carbon burner has been illustrated and described for heating the air passing through the tube or pipe l2, it is obvious that any suitable form of a heating medium may be substituted therefor.

By terminating the end of the tube or pipe l2 a slight distance from the outer end of the cylinder 13, the heated air fdiscliarging into the enlarged chamber 14 is given an opportunity to expand prior to being ejected from the said cylinder 13.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new .and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is l. An apparatus for the described pui'- pose, the same comprising a casing provided terminates a distance from the open dis-k charge end thereof and provided with a heat opening in the wall thereof, and means for supplyingV heat through said opening onto the air tube extended within the shell surrounding the air tube.

2. An apparatus for the described pur- Copies of this patent may be obtained foi` five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner otPatentsiL terminates a distance from the discharge end thereof, a hydrocarbon burner situated beneath the slotted portion of the said shell for directing a heating iaine onto the air tube within the saine, a reservoir Yfor a liquid fuel, a pipe connection between thev reservoir and the said burner, and a hand actuated valve loi' regulating the flow of the liquid fuel to the burner. Y

3. In an apparatus for the described purpose, the combination with a blower casing provided with air inlets and an outlet conduit, a rotary fan situated'therein for drawing air into the casing andV expelling the same therefrom under pressure, power mechanism for imparting rotation to said fan, an

air tube extended from the aii outlet ofthe casing, a slotted'shell having an opendischarge end, said shell surrounding said air tubeandinto which the Aair passing there through discharges, the said air tube terminating within the shell a distance from the open discharge end thereof, and a burner situated beneath the slotted portion of the shell, for directing heat onto therair tube extended therein. i

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. p Y FERDNAND EPHRAIM. Witnesses: Josiirii B. TOPLETZ, ALBERT SGAHM.

Washington, D. C.v 

